1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal watercraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting structure by which an exhaust pipe that is accommodated in an inner space of a body of the watercraft and that is configured to guide an exhaust gas from an engine outside the body, is mounted to the body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, water-jet propulsion personal watercraft have been widely used in leisure, sport, rescue activities, and the like. The personal watercraft is configured to accommodate an engine within an inner space of a body formed by joining a hull and a deck covering the hull from above to each other at their peripheries. The engine is configured to drive a water jet pump, which pressurizes and accelerates water sucked from a water intake generally provided on a hull bottom surface and ejects it rearward from an outlet port. As a result, the personal watercraft is propelled.
The personal watercraft is typically equipped with an exhaust system accommodated in the inner space of the body. An exhaust gas emitted from the engine is discharged outside the body through an exhaust outlet formed at a rear portion of the body through the exhaust system. The exhaust system typically includes a muffler capable of reducing a noise level of the exhaust gas. The exhaust port of the muffler and the exhaust outlet formed at the rear portion of the body are typically connected to each other through an exhaust pipe and a rubber pipe.
The exhaust port of the muffler is connected to the exhaust outlet formed at the rear portion of the body in such a manner that a first exhaust pipe extends rearward from the exhaust port of the muffler and a second exhaust pipe extends forward from the exhaust outlet formed at the rear portion of the body. Typically, the first exhaust pipe is welded to the exhaust port of the muffler and the second exhaust pipe is welded or bonded to the exhaust outlet. The first and second exhaust pipes are connected to communicate with each other through a rubber pipe. The rubber pipe is fixed to the first and second exhaust pipes by a clamp or the like. In such a construction, a vibration generated in the muffler and a vibration generated in the body do not substantially affect each other. The exhaust system is typically assembled in the hull before the deck is mounted onto the hull. Another construction to connect the exhaust port of the muffler to the exhaust outlet formed at the rear portion of the body is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,828.
The above described exhaust system is disassembled and taken outside the body for regular maintenance. In the case of a straddle-type personal watercraft equipped with a seat mounted over the deck and configured to be straddled by a rider, an operator disassembles and re-assembles an exhaust system through an opening formed on the deck below the seat. Since the opening is positioned substantially at the center in the longitudinal direction of the body on an upper portion of the deck, it is difficult for the operator to access the muffler located at the rear portion within the body which is relatively distant from the opening to mount and remove the muffler. In particular, since a connecting portion connecting the exhaust port of the muffler to the exhaust outlet formed at the rear portion of the body is very distant from the opening of the deck, the operator has difficulty in disassembling and re-assembling the connecting portion.
Since a number of components such as an engine and an exhaust system are accommodated in a relatively limited inner space of the body, there is little free space within the body. In recent years, in order to reduce a noise level of an exhaust gas more effectively, two mufflers are sometimes mounted within the body of the watercraft and connected to each other through pipes. In such watercraft, there is very little free space within the body, and therefore, it becomes more difficult for the operator to mount and remove the exhaust system to and from the body.